Inspired by cultures around the world, bamboo shades or woven woods can encompass any decorating stylefrom sophisticated and contemporary to casual and relaxed. The lining options, mounting options and cord operation systems are just as important as the style of shade you choose.
Bamboo Shades come with a choice of 4 lining options that can dramatically change the look of bamboo shades;
Standard - The standard shade configuration is unlined as shown above. Most patterns gently filter light.
Privacy Liner - A light beige lining is expertly sewn to the backside of the shade. This provides full privacy and a uniform light color facing the street.
Blackout Liner - A white blackout lining is expertly sewn to the backside of the shade. This blocks almost all light coming through the material.
Duo Shade - A roller shade behind the Roman shade is available in privacy (shown) or blackout fabrics. Makes any shade private as you wish - perfect to pull down at night.
It is important to hold the sample of the bamboo shade up to the window, especially an unlined shade. A material in the sample book will usually reflect what the shade will look like if you chose it with a blackout backing. With an unlined bamboo shade, depending on the tightness of the weave, the shade may or may not be see through. A see through pattern offers no privacy at night. The privacy lining will still let light enter the room, but gives full privacy. The disadvantage is that you will have to raise the shade to see out the window. The blackout lining is sometimes misunderstood due to it filters out about 95% of the light when the shades are down. Some companies are starting to name blackout shades room darkening due to customers thought blackout shades would cut 100% of the light. Lining or not, a good rule of thumb is to take the sample out of the sample book and hold it up to the window.
Mounting options for bamboo shades can vary depending on the look you are trying to capture. A bamboo shade can be mounted inside the windowsill or outside the window sill. An inside mounted bamboo shade is a clean tucked away look that is flush with the window sill edge. There are some important considerations with an inside mounted bamboo shade. Since bamboo shades have a large stack when pulled up, you will loose viewing area out of the window with an inside mounted shade. Another disadvantage is when the windows are not square and you will have larger gaps in some areas between the edge of the shade and the window sill. The gaps will be very noticeable if you chose the blackout lining option. Another important consideration when using an inside mount is that bamboo shades will stretch and six months later will pucker out slightly at the bottom due to the shade hitting the bottom of the window sill. An outside mounted shade is a more finished look and can add height to any window. Outside mounted bamboo shades are usually mounted 3 above the window and overlap 2 on each side. They can be mounted higher that 3 to make the window appear larger and to have the stack cover less of the window when the shade is in the up position. One advantage with an outside mount is when the shade stretches a little, it will not make a difference because the shade is hanging freely. In this case, the shade will look the same six months later from the day they were installed. A shade with a blackout lining usually looks better when mounted outside because you will not see the space between the edge of the shade and window sill. Further, you can block the light better due to the overlapping of 2 past the window. Whether the shade is mounted inside or outside, after taking these suggestions into consideration you will love your bamboo shades for many years.
Finally, there are two different cord operation systems for bamboo shades. Most companies use a cord-lock system as a standard feature with no extra charge. Another option is a continuous cord operation that costs a little extra, but has its advantages. When a shade is in the up position with a cord-lock system the cords will usually hang on the ground. Also, depending on the usage of the shade, the cords in a cord-lock system will burn out faster than a continuous cord operation system. With a continuous cord system, the length of the cord will always stay the same length regardless of the shade position. The cords on a continuous cord system usually hang the length of the shade, but can be custom lengths if homeowner chooses. Further, you will never have cords hanging on the ground to step on or the kids to play with. Another advantage is that bamboo shades in large windows will be heavy, especially if they have a lining, to lift up and down so the continuous cord system can help because it is a stronger system and will make those large windows feel easy. The only disadvantage with a continuous cord system is that the head rail is larger and you will need at least 3 of mounting space on an inside mounted shade so the shade will not stick out past the window sill. In conclusion, carefully consider spending a couple extra bucks to have a clean hassle-free look.
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